The Dead of Midwinter by J.R. Sinclair
How long does it take to make a murderer?
For sixteen years, the Midwinter Butcher has been lurking in the shadows, committing ritualistic animal killings on the anniversary of DI Joseph Stone's son's tragic death. And ever since, Joseph has been desperate to bring them to justice.
Now living alone on a narrowboat in the heart of Oxford, the Irish detective has tried to put his shattered life back together. But with his superiors’ unwillingness to allocate the necessary resources, his quest for justice has been fruitless.
That is until he is teamed with the determined and driven DC Megan Taylor. Together, they begin to unravel the web of clues that leads them closer and closer to the truth. Soon it becomes clear that these animal murders were just a prelude to something much more sinister.
The clock is ticking, and with Joseph's daughter's life on the line, He and Megan must risk everything to catch the Midwinter Butcher before it's too late. Can they bring the killer to justice, and Joseph finally find closure, or will his daughter become the next victim in this twisted game of life and death?
The Dead of Midwinter is J.R. Sinclair's electrifying debut crime thriller. Sinclair's writing is a fresh and exciting new voice in the British crime fiction genre, sure to captivate fans of JD Kirk, TG Reid, Alex Smith, and J.E Mayhew. This is a must-read for any crime enthusiast and will keep you guessing until the very end.
About the author
J. R. Sinclair lives in Oxford with his wife and two cats. He will often be found rambling through the streets of the city, keeping an eye on DI Joseph Stone. Rumour has it that they are firm friends.
Review
‘The Dead of Midwinter’ is a brilliant start to a brand new series set amongst the spires of Oxford! It was a gripping read right from the start and I devoured it in one sitting.
DI Joseph Stone is determined that he is one day going to catch the so-called Midwinter Butcher, as 16 years ago he caused the car crash that killed his little baby boy. Every year on the anniversary of his death the Butcher commits a ritualistic animal killing and Joseph is committed to the case and believes that he is going to catch him. Joseph has been teamed up with the promising DC Megan Taylor. When Joseph's daughter stumbles across the Midwinter Butcher carrying out his latest crime, it marks a departure in his MO and he knows he needs to find him soon or this could get a whole lot darker…
I love when I get to come into a series of police procedurals right at the start and I feel that this is going to be a series that I will be enjoying for many books to come. It has many elements which I loved - the fact Joseph lives on a barge and uses a very expensive bike to cycle everywhere makes him slightly quirky and easy to like. Even though he has a dark past he comes across as a friendly and approachable bloke. Yes, there is sadness there but he doesn't fall into the cliche of an alcoholic with a broken marriage trope! He was refreshing and the way he encourages Megan to be a better officer reminded me of Logan from the JD Kirk books. I particularly liked their relationship and how it developed and I think they are going to be a very successful partnership.
The story was gripping from the start and I was hooked right away! The plot was clever and sophisticated and although I guessed who the bad guy was, the resolution and final reveal were brilliantly written and the tension radiated off the page!
Let me know if you pick this one up, I thoroughly recommend it.
